In About Last Night, two drastically different couples go on a double date after the more outrageous and raunchy couple hook-up. These couples are pairs of best friends, Bernie (Kevin Hart) and Joan (Regina Hall) and Danny (Michael Ealy) and Debbie (Joy Bryant) that meet up in a bar in Los Angeles. Bernie and Joan are the more outlandish and sexually angry couple whereas Joan and Danny are each deemed the “boring” friends. This double date leads to an enjoyable hour and forty-minute rom-com ride.
About Last Night is a remake of the 1986 film of the same name, which starred Rob Lowe and Demi Moore. This refreshing update tackles the majority of the basic plot points from the original but throws a modern twist onto them. The major change that worked best is the switch up in the group dynamic. In the original, the characters played by Lowe and Moore end up in a relationship after a one night stand, while their friends don’t really have any major role other than comic relief. In the remake, Bernie and Joan are also seeing each other, which makes for a tighter narrative and makes it more believable that Joan would end up hating Bernie after a failed relationship, as opposed to her seemingly random disgust in the original.
The remake is also a lot more comedic than the original, thanks to its cast. Comedian Kevin Hart and Regina Hall (who also co-starred in last years Think Like a Man) have an incredibly playful chemistry and whenever they are off-screen, you will find yourself wanting them to come back. Every scene they have together will have you bursting into laughter as they deliver their insults and comebacks with over-the-top anger and hatred. Ealy and Bryant are definitely the least interesting part of the movie but they do have their occasional heartwarming moments that are real and genuine. These will be sure to have audience members swooning and rooting for them to stay together.
What’s interesting about this particular romantic comedy is that the main obstacle in the film for the couple to overcome is themselves and their relationship in general. This is an interesting twist on the typical rom-com because usually the couple has to overcome a whole bunch of outside obstacles. This is a more realistic imagining of falling in love and being in a committed relationship because we are our own worst enemies. It is no spoiler to say that the film ends on a happy note but doesn’t give in to all of the theatrics and over the top apologies that occur in most rom-coms but instead it offers a very subtle and satisfying conclusion that seems to be reminiscent of the modern day relationship. We need to get over our relationship expectations and ourselves before we can be in a healthy one.
8/10
